COVID-19 shut everything down in Honduras in March, just like the rest of the world. The US Embassy recommended all US citizens return to the US, but we decided to stay together as a family. Most of the people in Honduras depend on the wages they earn that day to feed their families. In the beginning most people followed the quarantine orders, but that changed as families needed food. There is no unemployment checks or government bailouts in this third world country.
In March we contacted one of the lawyers we had used that was in Texas and asked him to review Olga's case. This was the lawyer who was able to get the failure to appear charges dropped in 2013. After we won that case the government added the human trafficking's charges out of the blue. The lawyer asked us to do a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) from the USCIS and get back to him when we received it.
On May 7th, I received a phone call that my brother had died from COVID-19. I felt helpless. I was in another country during a pandemic with no way to travel back and forth due to the closure of borders. I again cried out to God to help me understand and just fell back trusting that He knows all and has a plan.
We received the FOIA files in a PDF sometime during the fog of May. I was able to forward the files to the lawyer and asked him what he thought. In June the lawyer reviewed everything and stressed that it was a difficult case, as the US government is barring Olga for life for human smuggling. He stressed we would need compelling evidence to clear Olga. The cost just for the preparation of the brief would be at a minimum $4000. This does not include everything else. I am estimating we are looking at $8000 to $10000 total costs.
It would help if the guy Olga is accused of smuggling into the US would help by stating the facts: Olga is not related to him, Olga did not pay for him to cross the border, they met on the trip and they were just following the instructions of the coyote. I contacted his wife last year and received an email from his lawyer asking me to not contact him or his family. I have the emails from last year that we could show USCIS but don't know if this would be enough.
Over the last 8 years that we have been in Honduras, we have seen many people leave to the United States. They claim asylum at the border and are allowed to enter. They claim they are victims of the violence (My daughter had a gun put to her head when she was 5) or they are victims of poverty (I can not find employment here either). It is frustrating for us to watch and know we are not allowed the privilege of living in the United States as a family.
In the meantime Alicia has started 6th grade and her school is doing distant learning here in Honduras. Eduardo graduated in May from High School in Florida. Olga works in her store trying to bring in income to support the family and I play the house husband helping Alicia with school and doing the housework.
So, with all that is happening with COVID-19, I am trying to figure out if I leave my family and return to the US to seek employment of if the Lord has something for me here in Honduras. I won't lie to you, my faith that this will work out is failing. I try to keep trusting that the Lord has a plan. I try.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV
